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For the birds

Today is the southern hemisphere's winter solstice, the year's shortest day and longest night. In southern Tasmania, the lack of daylight is quite noticeable, with the sun not rising until 7.43 and setting at 4.43. To be precise.

For the summer solstice, midsummer, we leave gifts of flowers and chocolates out for the fairies to keep them happy. On the flip side, today we made a gift for the birds, who might need a little extra comfort during these long cold nights. A wire ball stuffed full of materials to help build their nests. I can't remember on whose blog I saw this fantastic idea, but it is a good one.

They are easy and fun to make. We took some pliable wire and wrapped it around a pumpkin for shape. You could use a ball or anything round. You could even skip the first step and use old wire hanging baskets or maybe a pinecone. We carefully removed it from the pumpkin and we had a rough spherical shape. I left a little loop at the top for hanging.

Then we stuffed it full of interesting scraps from around the house and garden: wool, fleece, string, cotton threads, hair out of hairbrushes, clumps of possum fur, feathers from the chook house, tiny scraps of old fabric and moss.

We took them outside in today's precious sunshine and hung them in the trees. Over the next few months, we'll keep an eye out for nests in the garden to see if the birds have used any of the gifts we left for them.

Now we're back inside for soup and scones by the fire. We'll be lighting lots of candles tonight to remind us that the sun is on it's way back. Hope you're keeping warm and cosy too.

That is such a beautiful post Michelle.It made me cry. Everything is making me cry today. I wonder if that is due to solstice too. I think we might make ourselves a ball of scraps here too.Hope you are keeping warm.

Thanks Michelle, I've been enjoying your posts and this is a beautiful idea. We've put it one on our playgroup calendar to welcome the Spring. It looks wonderful and it will be great to see who comes to visit!

Your cup cakes were delicious Michelle, it was lovely to see you, I hope the camera tips worked? I've been getting used to the 50mm and I think you will like it : )I Los your idea to give something to the birds, the solstice is my cousins birthday and I always feel slighly sad for her, but perhaps there are much better ways at looking at it.